By Sandy Tonsing

Just because smoking is hard to quit and that you had been continuously failing in your attempt to quit doesn’t mean that quitting is impossible. Though there are many people who relapse there are also a number of people who bid adieu to cigarette for good. Its not a lost case even if you fail for uncountable times, there are many in your league. There would hardly be a smoker who could quit in his first attempt. Therefore, don’t lose heart just believe in yourself, YOU CAN DO IT!

It is an undeniable fact that it is not easy to quit smoking. Nicotine is one of the most difficult addictions to let go. The withdrawal symptoms and the craving are one of the most difficult phases to pass through. It is because of this that many quitters relapse. Due to the want of Nicotine the body undergoes a stage of depression, uneasiness, lethargy, dizziness, restlessness etc, and knowing that just by smoking the body will be feeling good again we often fail to stand firm in our resolution.

Nicotine gets into the brain and activates the neurotransmitter dopamine which gives a rewarding feeling, so, when we smoke we feel good and in no time we get addicted and our body wants to get that feeling again and again. When the level of nicotine is low we begin to feel the craving, the want to have that feel good factor once again overwhelm us. So, we end up lighting again after every short interval.

There are various methods which help many smokers to successfully quit smoking. Medical as well as non- medical treatments are available. The non-medical treatments are an aid on to the medical treatments mostly to enhance an effective way to really quit smoking. The medical treatments are in the form of Nicotine replacement therapy and pills.

Nicotine replacement therapy comes in the form of lozenges, gums, inhaler, patches and nasal spray. They are approved by the FDA as a treatment for anti-smoking. As the name suggest they are used as a replacement to the harmful Nicotine.

Yale University
Smoking Indicator of Alcohol Misuse

Where there is cigarette smoking there is probably misuse of alcohol too, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"This means cigarette smoking status can be used as a clinical indicator for alcohol misuse, which presents an opportunity for intervention," said the principal investigator, Sherry McKee, assistant professor of psychiatry.

She said that although brief screening and brief intervention provided in primary care settings are effective, clinicians do not frequently screen for alcohol misuse. This is a matter of concern because 26 percent of the U.S. population is drinking at hazardous levels, which puts them at increased risk for alcohol-related consequences such as injuries from motor vehicle crashes, hypertension, depression, and certain cancers.

"Only an estimated 30 percent of individuals who had a primary care visit reported being screened for an alcohol or drug use problem," McKee said. "Physicians are much more likely to ask patients whether and how often they smoke."